On the Other Side
by modestlykeithhelm
Summary: Chronologically set in the timeline of Mass Effect 3. What will Hiro do when he is forced to leave his home planet behind? What sacrifices will he make? Who will he encounter in his journeys? (I've taken some artistic liberties but I will attempt to stay as in character as possible.)
1. Chapter 1

"What the hell **was** that?" Hiro's hair was damp from the shower. He quickly tugged a large sweatshirt over his head. It came down to his knees so only the bottom of his black shorts were visible. His dark eyes darted to his window which had been shaking violently only seconds ago.

"Come on, come on, come on! Load faster dammit!"

Hiro heard Tadashi's nervous muttering get louder and louder as he made his way down the hall. The notes of panic in his brother's voice made his stomach churn. He thought about going to the bathroom to be sick when another blast followed by an explosion jolted him back into the moment.

"Tadashi!" The pitch of his voice jumped in fear.

"I'm right here." The young man spoke as soothingly as he could manage. "Just give me one more second."

Hiro ducked into Tadashi's room. Every wall was covered in blue prints and monitors. The green glow from lines and lines of code illuminated the dark space. Tadashi's broad silhouette loomed in front of the younger sibling.

Hiro chewed on his lip.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know." Tadashi turned on his heel and snatched a small rucksack from the back of his chair. He tossed it roughly at Hiro. "You grab this. I'll go get-" Another explosion. This one sounded closer. Hiro could smell smoke. "Son of a bitch." Tadashi muttered to himself. "We're out of time." For a brief moment defeat flickered in his eyes before being replaced by resolve. He crossed the room in four large steps. He snatched Hiro's wrist and began dragging him to the door.

"Wait! Stop! We can't go **out there**!"

"We have no choice."

Hiro drew in a large gasp when they hit the streets. Smoke spiraled into the sky from a dozen or more ongoing fires. The ground vibrated. People were screaming. He ducked out of reflex as a gun ship whistled overhead. _That's an A-61 Mantis._ Hiro thought to himself as he jogged to keep up with Tadashi. _Where are they all going?_

He slammed into something solid and warm. Hiro's cheek brushed against Tadashi's soft striped sweater. _Why the hell did he stop in the middle of the street?_

"What's up with you?" Tadashi's expression twisted into something ugly. Shades of disbelief fused with pure animalistic terror. He remembered himself and pressed on.

"Come on. We have to be getting close. Don't look, bro."

"Don't look at what?"

A dark mass loomed amongst the clouds of ash. If a massive scorpion had sex with a transformer its vile offspring still wouldn't be as a terrifying as this thing. Hiro's limbs went numb as he stared into it's cold, unforgiving red eye. A low hum filled the air. _It's a…_

"Laser! Get down!"

Hiro was winded as Tadashi tackled him into a pile of rubble. His large hands covering as much of the young boy's skull as he could manage. Hiro coughed as his mouth was filled with dust. His eyes stung and watered. He couldn't breathe. Something in his rucksack chirped and whirred. Tadashi had him on his feet.

"Come on, little bro. We have to keep moving."

Broken glass crunched under their boots. In a way they had just walked through their front door for the last time...what was left of it anyway.

Up ahead Hiro could see the park. The place where he rode and crashed the hover board he built. The place where they celebrated his brother's graduation from the academy. _Fred, Honey, Go Go, Wasabi!_

"Tadashi! The others-"

"I'm sure they're fine." There was an unspoken _I hope_ tacked on to the end of that statement. As they entered the park a large, beefy man bellowed at them.

"Civilians, this way!"

"We made it."

They stood side by side on the stone plaza which had been hastily converted into an evacuation point. Hiro wasn't sure when they clasped hands but their grip was like a vise. _This isn't happening. Not here. Not on Earth. We're not colonists. We're not combatants. We're just normal. We're just normal and this is our home._ Realization struck. _This..._ _ **was**_ _our home._

"I got room for one more!" Hiro stared into the drop shuttle. It was crammed with shivering people. A private in the Alliance Navy beckoned the crowd. "Just one more spot. They'll be coming back for the rest of you."

Hiro subconsciously shuffled into the crook of Tadashi's arm. His heart leapt into his chest when he heard Tadashi yell.

"I have one more right here! He's a child! I have a child!"

The unnamed soldier grunted.

"Children are a priority. Send him forward."

"Tadashi, no!" Hiro's eyes filled with large drops of water that threatened to spill over. "I'll wait with you. We're leaving together."

Tadashi stooped to his level. He ran his fingers through Hiro's hair. Their foreheads pressed together tenderly. When he spoke he was eerily serene. He almost sounded like their whole world **wasn't** crumbling at their feet.

"You're a tough kid, you know that? I am so proud of you, bro." His long arms wrapped around the tiny frame. Pulling him closer and closer. Maybe if they concentrated they could even fuse into one. Hiro breathed deeply. His brother's smell was musty. He smelled like sweat and grease and cheap cologne. He smelled like safety. "I'm sorry...for this."

In a flash Hiro was shoved into a set of iron chains. He struggled against the soldier's grasp. Tadashi stared at him from the launch pad. He regarded Hiro with pain, with sorrow and with a deep sense of relief.

"What did you?!" Hiro screamed in a frenzy of hurt and betrayal.

His savior and captor signaled the pilot.

"We got him! Take 'er up!"

"Let me go! Let me go, you bitch! I said I'm staying here! What, are you deaf? I. AM. NOT. GOING!" Hiro's small fists beat on the windows ineffectively. " **Tadashi**!"

As the reaper grew nearer and nearer there was a mad dash. They must have known it was hopeless but they tried to run anyway. There was only one tall figure who stood in his place, waving goodbye to his little brother shrieking in the sky.


	2. Chapter 2

"Easy, easy. It's just me." There was a swirl of dark brown and speckles. There was confusion. Then there was blinding light as Chris Shepard's eyes cracked open. She blinked a few times as she adjusted to the transition from sleep to the waking world. She was confused then calm as she focused on the face of a friendly Turian. His low voice rumbled out slowly. "Welcome back, Commander."

"Garrus." Shepard sat up and felt a soothing talon on the small of her back. She swiped her misty brow with the heel of her hand. Her wispy black bangs were cemented to her clammy skin and she could feel goosebumps running down the length of her arms and spine.

"Another nightmare?" He inquired as he handed her a glass of water from the nightstand. She chugged it in one gulp and then gasped for air.

"You could say that. It felt more like time traveling."

"Hmmm, in which direction?"

"Back. Somewhere I haven't been in a long time."

Garrus nodded empathetically.

"Earth." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yeah. It was like I was there. I could see it. I could hear it. I could practically smell the destruction." Garrus said nothing. He simply wrapped an arm around her and listened.

"I wish I had been there with you."

Shepard shook off the remark.

"You were tied up in your own chaos. The reapers attacked Palaven too after all. You must be worried."

"It's hard to imagine. It feels like just yesterday we were screaming at the top of our lungs to the Council and anyone else with even a modicum of power who might listen. Now here we are. It seems no one ever wants to do anything until it's all but too late."

Shepard stood and padded across the cabin to her small bathroom. Her space hamster chirped at her as she walked by. She looked at herself in the mirror critically. Her steel colored eyes were punctuated by crows feet. She had chronic worry lines and...was that a grey hair? This war was taking a toll on her morale and her face. She donned her usual fatigues and returned to the bedroom.

She looked at the digital calendar and frowned. _A whole month_. _We've wasted a whole month._ It wasn't like they had been doing nothing. For as many items as she crossed off her to-do list, more just cropped up in their place. She wanted to be charging forward but their current pace was more of an amble bordering on a crawl.

"We're running out of time, Garrus."

"Considering what few war assets we started with, I'd say we've made a respectable amount of progress."

"Respectable doesn't win wars, Vakarian." Chris chastised herself internally. He was doing his best to support her but she was lashing out like a renegade child. He waited for her to calm herself with his usual quiet demeanor. "Is it going to be enough Garrus?" Something in her tone said _Am_ _ **I**_ _going to be enough?_ Garrus rose from his spot and stood beside her.

"Shepard you are a human with the strength of a Krogan, the intelligence of a Salarian, the charm of an Asari and the self discipline of a Turian. There is no leader I'd sooner follow through the gates of Hell than you."

Shepard stared into his pale blue eyes. The corners of her lips turned up. She clapped him on the shoulder firmly like a comrade but allowed her fingers to linger like a lover.

"Let's move out then."

"Understood, Commander."


	3. Chapter 3

Shepard clicked on her transponder once she disembarked the Normandy with Garrus and Liara at her side.

"Alright, Joker. Hold down the fort while we're gone."

His voice crackled back in her ear.

"Aye aye, commander."

"And EDI?"

"Yes, commander?" The articulate AI responded

" **You** keep an eye on **him**."

"Understood."

"Hey, wait a minute! I-"

Shepard chuckled as she disconnected. It had been unnecessary but pushing Joker's buttons was one of her little pleasures aboard the ship. EDI had been getting more into it as she explored her new found freedom.

She had once asked Shepard if she should "make any adjustments." It seemed she had taken her commanding officer's advice and was building a real personality for herself. One that would bring Joker endless amusement and annoyance.

Shepard shared a knowing smile with Liara.

"Those two are good for each other."

"Agreed." The Turian and the Asari followed Shepard through the scanners into the belly of the Citadel. "So what do we aim to accomplish today?"

"We're going to Purgatory."

"Already?" Garrus joked "Don't you think it's a bit premature?"

"Ha. Ha. Good one."

Garrus shrugged.

"I did some more reading on human culture. Thought it would come in handy. On a serious note, what are we doing in a bar? It's a bit early in the day even for you."

"We're meeting Aria." Liara and Garrus' brows shot up with surprise. "I received a message from her on my private terminal. She wants to talk and I'm willing to hear what she has to say."

They entered the famously slow elevator. Garrus rolled his shoulders as he had seen Shepard do a million times. Apparently the habit was catching.

"This ought to be interesting. I must say, Shepard, serving with you has never been boring."

Shepard winked.

"And we're just getting to the good stuff."

Liara sighed.

"I have a feeling something is going over my head right now. Something I'd rather not have explained."

* * *

Shepard raised her voice over the oppressive bass of the music.

"Judging from this crowd, you'd never think there was a war on."

A plethora of species bounced before her. They swayed in time to the music. There were even Alliance soldiers bellied up to the bar doing shots. Shepard spotted James amongst them. She nodded at him and he gave her a casual salute, mouthing the word "Lola." Garrus shook his head.

"Not enough liquor in the galaxy to make me forget."

"I second that." Liara remarked.

Shepard was scanning the crowd looking for Aria. _She should be right about…_ Her eyes landed on a slender Asari figure in a private booth off to the side. She somehow managed to stand out and remain inconspicuous all at once.

"There's our mark." There was an unspoken _wait here_ tacked on to the end. It needn't be explained. When you've served with someone long enough you start to read their thoughts. The intimate bond Shepard shared with Garrus and Liara made that frequency infinitely stronger for the three of them. She started to make her way over to the entourage wondering why Aria wasn't on Omega when her attention was diverted.

The layers of the club were split allowing her to look down from her current platform to the one below. A slight voice somehow stood out against the music that pulsated inside Shepard's head.

"So, you gonna pay up or what?"

 _What the hell? A kid? In here?!_

Shepard made a "come hither" motion and Garrus stood at her side. His mandibles flared.

"Curiouser and curiouser."

"Aria's gonna have to cool her heels for a bit."

Garrus nodded.

"What's our approach?"

"Follow my lead and try to blend in."

"As long as you don't try to dance I think we can do that much."

Shepard squeezed his hand.

"You'll pay for that, Vakarian" and they made their way down the stairs.


	4. Chapter 4

There was that wheezing and deep throat-esque heavy breathing again. He felt annoyance welling up inside of him. _Why do I always end up doing business with_ _ **these**_ _guys?_ His brother had once told him that a Volus' skin would split if the environmental suit was removed. He was beginning to consider taking his omni blade to this one as a display of aggression, to get him to shut up and pay him what he owed. Maybe just to see what would happen. Would it bubble and burst like popcorn back home?

"Listen, Earth-clan, I find your determination...adorable. However my hands are tied. The sand's just not moving...like it used to."

The short human speaker made a vaguely threatening gesture.

"Bull! The market is exploding. It's a perfect end of days scenario. The reapers are coming so it's time to dust up unless you wanna face your demise sober. Every clown in this joint has shit they want to forget. Besides, no one cooks better than I do. Now, stop holding out on me or I'll find another dealer."

"You talk...big game Earth-clan but I have at least ten other suppliers that can replace you….in a microsecond. Your business will not be a loss."

The boy felt his biotic energy swelling up.

"Then how about losing your life?"

The volus started to laugh then glanced over his shoulder. All of his prowess dropped. He was a mere shell of the image he had projected just moments ago.

"Here, here. Just take the credits and lose my number." He couldn't have run off any faster.

Hiro Hamada smirked with self-satisfaction. "Piece of cake" He turned to leave and collided with a solid expanse of armor. "Hey what gives…" His sentence trailed off and hung in the air lamely. _Commander Shepard_

"Aren't you a little young to be in here?" She narrowed her eyes "And selling drugs?"

Hiro started to melt under her gaze then propped himself up.

"Yeah, what's it to you? You wanna go?" He had an unfortunately timed voice break at the end of that statement. Garrus lost his cool at that.

"Proceed with caution, Shepard." He got out between bouts of laughter "We have a real thug on our hands."

"I take it your parents don't know where you are?"

Hiro's eyes darkened. "Don't know, don't care."

He and Shepard stared each other down for what felt like a long time.

"Well it's time to go."

"Go? Hey! What the?!" Shepard grasped the back of Hiro's shirt and hoisted him up effortlessly like a kitten. To his credit he struggled with every fiber of his limited might. "You clods don't know what you're doing!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Shepard strolled out of Purgatory as if she was merely taking out the trash.


	5. Chapter 5

"For the last time! You need to let me go or I am seriously going to lose my temper and you don't want that."

"He's a lot calmer, Shepard. I think he's getting tuckered out"

"Just wait till I sic my Krogan underlings on you, Turian."

"Krogan underlings? My, my. One wonders how someone with such an impressive fighting force got tangled up in a bar brawl."

They arrived at the Embassies. They got off the elevator and were rushed by an overzealous reporter.

"Commander? Commander! Humanity has questions!"

Shepard strode past the annoying woman with minimal interest.

"Take a number."

They made a right and headed towards a row of offices.

Hiro squeaked but kept on his brave face somehow.

"Let me guess. This is where you keep that dimly lit backroom? Go ahead. Interrogate me all you want! You got no proof and I'm not talking."

Shepard glanced at Garrus.

"He doesn't have much bite but he's got a lot of bark."

They were standing in front of one office in particular. A name was printed on the wall. "Commander Bailey." The door slid open with a long hiss.

"Shepard, Vakarian" a low gravely voice uttered "to what do I owe the pleasure?"

They stepped inside and allowed the door to shut behind them.

"I'm afraid I have a bit more work to dump on your desk." She dropped Hiro who was considering making a dash for it. Garrus eyeballed him with an expression that read _I wouldn't if I were you._ Hiro scowled but stayed where he was.

Bailey shrugged.

"You and everyone else. Who's the short stack?"

"I yanked him out of the seedy underbelly of your city. Drug lords starting this early? This place has really gone down hill."

Bailey scoffed. "Work in C-Sec long enough and you'll see that we've been at the bottom of the hill for some time. Only now with all these refugees our resources are stretched so thin there's not much we can do about the bulk of it. Small stuff slips through the cracks."

"Hey!"

"No offense, kid. Now, what can I do you for? I have a feeling I'm not gonna like it."

"Probably not. I have business I need to attend to. Is there some place you can take him?"

"Is he from-"

"Yes."

"He tell you that?"

"Nope. He's really tight lipped. He's made that much clear. I can just tell."

"Shepard I doubt this will come as a shock to you but there are loads of children in his boat here. Very few families made it off planet intact. I hate to say this but there's very little we **can** do for him otherwise we'd be doing it." Shepard moved closer to his desk silently leaning on him in her own way. "On the other hand for the savior of the Citadel I'm sure I can pull some strings. Leave 'im here. I'll see to it myself."

"Much obliged, Commander. I'll be buying you a drink."

"Don't think I won't hold you to that, Shepard." He rested his head in his hands wearily. "Christ, I can't believe I've become a **literal** babysitter. This promotion is really feeling more like a demotion."

"Chin up, this fight's only starting. There will be plenty of action to go around. It might end up being more than you bargained for."

On that note she left. Hiro stared at the door seething. Then he felt his pocket. His stomach dropped. _My money?!_ _Shepard!_


End file.
